Veernaut
Veernaut are an elven race in Crimson Twilight. Regal. Steadfast. Uncompromising. A proud and insular people, the Veernaut strive to preserve nature and shape it to their will. The light elves resist change, flash-freezing their ancient homeland of Eldrith to keep it in an idealized, timeless state. The Veernaut revere the principle of Justice, fighting time and again to defend Haethyia against chaos and darkness. Short Description The Veernaut are proud and ancient people from the frozen lands of the north. Veernaut judge themselves fit to divine right from wrong under wind, sun, and sky, and mete an even-handed justice. Politics The power among the Veernaut political elite is shared between three groups: the elected advisers, who control the external-facing political and military organizations; the monarch, who rules over internal affairs; and the Scion, who serves as leader of the Justicars. Among the kingdoms of Haethyia, the Justicars are the most potent symbol of the light elves' influence upon the world. Upholding stringent vows of absolute impartiality, the Justicars are often called upon to act as traveling judges in situations where a third party is needed to settle disputes. Members of all the great kingdoms respect the judgments of the Justicars due to their proven commitment to fairness. The Scion, a female child of the royal line, concludes her training by peering into the Light of Justice. Blinded by its brilliance, she shrouds her eyes for the rest of her life, lest they reveal the sacred truths she is charged to protect. Culture Veernaut may not be known as creatures of comfort, but more than a few hungry, half-frozen travelers have recovered from frostbite after a few sips of their sickletusk boar stew. In times of war, the light elves have proven valuable allies to human armies across the regions: the courageous elves are renowned for their skill in battle, relying on their preternatural speed and grace to vanquish their enemies. Economy Compared to the more populous humans, the Veernaut are few in number and sustain their economy peacefully amongst humans. Elven hunters and trappers sell exotic furs to the high society of the great kingdoms, securing a comfortable profit while ensuring that the animal world maintains a healthy balance. Along with the fauns with whom they share their vale, some elves have become known for their winter wines, vintages sought after as much for their rarity as for their distinctive flavor. Magic As with their dark elf cousins, the Veernaut are more closely tied to magic than any of the other mortal races. Magic is inherent to the light elves, as much a part of their culture and society as the snowy landscape they call home. Even in Haethyia's earliest history, they were able to channel powerful magic far before other races felt the allure of its auspices. Though other races would gain a similar level of control over arcane forces, the Veernaut continue to be renowned as teachers of the mystic arts. Religion Veernaut most commonly worship the elven gods Driana and Lyria, with beliefs that tend toward the veneration of nature and magic. They believe fully in justice and order, and they are willing to shape Haethyia to match those ideals. These beliefs put them in conflict with those who believe that nature should remain whole and untouched, such as the more militant wild elves, the Baoliarn. Driana, goddess of nature and weather, is both a source of life and a force of destruction. Lyria, goddess of magic, provides the Veernaut with the vitality to mold the blessings of Driana to suit their goals. In their unyielding dedication to justice, they never withhold judgment of wrongful conduct. History When the Deep Gloam receded and mortal races finally emerged from their hiding places, the Ithura were among the first to venture forth. But the lands their ancestors had spoken of had become a frozen wasteland, vastly different from the days before the Gloam. Harsh winters thinned their numbers, and they decided to journey south in search of a more hospitable climate. The elves braved the Perilous Straits, an icy channel that claimed many of their watercraft and even more of their lives. They established a new home in the cold, northern region they called "Eldrith", in a secluded valley they named Eden of Frost. There, during the time of the Emergence, the elves became allies of the Tygrae—humans who served the magical Valdraer in the Empire of Eheothage. Preservation and Kinship United by a common ancestry, the Veernaut and their charismatic cousins, the Novaec, coexisted for many centuries. As they watched the humans and other races build their fragile civilizations, the elves celebrated the abiding kinship that transcended minor differences in philosophy. While the dark elves embraced change, the light elves believed that any system of codes devised by the celestial beings of order would be a perfect manifestation of law. When the Valdraer presented the mortal kingdoms with the Codex of Order, the Veernaut fervently adopted the principles of the magical beings while the dark elves retained their more malleable ethos. After the Valdraer departed and Tygrae unity crumbled, the Veernaut recovered a piece of the fragmented codex and placed it among their most valuable artifacts. The elves, especially the Veernaut, came to love and appreciate the cold, beautiful lands that surrounded them. With every passing year, the light elves utilized their powerful magic to maintain Eden of Frost, preventing the ice-covered landscape from thawing to keep it in an ideal state. To their eyes, their home embodied perfect order: a beacon of truth in a world ravaged by deception. War and a Parting During the era of the Early Kingdoms, many human settlements were conquered by a warlike tribe called the Kagaheta. After some smaller-scale skirmishes, the Kagaheta staged a surprise attack that resulted in the death of the heir to the Veernaut throne. The elves—decisive and merciless when provoked—wiped out entire legions of the Kagaheta in response. The dark elves were particularly vengeful, relentlessly cutting down their human adversaries to the brink of extermination. The Justicars, ruling that the aggression of the Kagaheta had been repaid, decreed that the war must end before further bloodshed blemished the integrity of the elves. This ruling, accepted as law by the Veernaut, was vehemently protested by the Novaec. This philosophical schism between the two elven races became too great, and they realized that, in order to preserve their familial bond, the kinsmen would need to live apart. Masters of the Arcane Their confidence unshaken by the departure of the dark elves, the Veernaut forged new alliances in the Age of Arcana, a time when magic began to flourish in Haethyia. As a race that had a longstanding mastery of the arcane arts, the Veernaut taught friendly nations the techniques necessary to harness the sudden prevalence of magic, building a settlement called Tolyndrae in the land called Laran. Founded as a fulcrum of knowledge and learning, Tolyndrae cemented the light elves' role as arbiters of arcane study. Shepherds of Justice The burgeoning might of the kingdom of man signaled a permanent shift in roles among Haethyia. The kingdoms that had once lacked control of magic now influenced the world as much as the elves. The Veernaut, having restored their honor, decided to take a less visible role in Haethyia's political culture, allowing humans to take a more visible role in world affairs. As the Age of Arcana blossomed, many Veernaut migrated throughout the regions of Haethyia. A majority of their race, however, preferred to stay within the borders of Eldrith while the kingdoms of man struggled for primacy. Instead, these light elves ruminated on a greater concern: the rapidly rising level of magic in the world. Category:Races